April 17, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 10, 1429

ISLAMABAD, April 16: Pakistan on Wednesday said that the National Command Authority (NCA) included the president, prime minister, foreign minister, defence minister and there was no possibility of accrediting any foreign official.

Commenting on a report that the US had proposed to accredit an official to the NCA, Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq said: “Delegations and individuals do meet members of the NCA but it is not possible to accredit an official to the NCA.”

He said that the Strategic Plans Division (SPD) was the Secretariat of the NCA and international cooperation by the SPD was limited to learning the best practices for the purpose of nuclear safety as stated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on several occasions.

The spokesman said that the SPD also briefed visiting senior government officials, lawmakers and foreign media representatives on the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear programme.

These briefings were coordinated by ambassadors or officials concerned, he added.

“There is no question of allowing access to any outsider to the SPD for any other purpose,” the spokesman said.

He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was kept informed of all briefings given by the SPD to foreign dignitaries.

Neither any foreign government has made a request to accredit an official to SPD nor a system exists to accept such an accreditation, he added.—APP